The invention relates to an installation for soldering or for the heat treatment of workpieces in a protective gas atmosphere, having a workpiece transporting device, having an inlet into the installation and having an outlet out of the installation, having a combustion gas or heating gas flow which is conducted separately from the gas flow and which brings the gas flow to working temperature and having an insulation which surrounds the installation. The invention also relates to a corresponding process for soldering or for heat treatment.
DE 102 27 055B4 discloses a brazing process for joining components composed of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy. In said publication, it is considered to be advantageous to provide a hot gas, which may also be the protective gas, by means of electric heating. In this way, a reliable and fast brazing process is provided in said document. The division into two heating phases which is provided in said document ensures fast, economical heating and should supposedly lead to a lower overall energy input in relation to furnace heating—whatever may be meant by that term.
The significantly older DE 2 254 769 A has disclosed another soldering process and a soldering furnace for the flux-free soldering of aluminum workpieces in protective gas. In said document, too, the protective gas should preferably be electrically heated. The soldering furnace has a pre-heating chamber in which the workpieces are brought to approximately 500° C., a soldering chamber in which the soldering itself is carried out in protective gas, and inter alia also a cooling chamber.